Endangered wolf pups put in dens in New Mexico, Arizona

Missouri wildlife officials have placed six Mexican wolf pups born in captivity near St. Louis with two packs in the wild, in a new effort to repopulate the critically endangered species. Three members of the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Mo., flew with the 11-day-old pups to Phoenix on April 18. From there, the pups were taken to packs in Arizona and New Mexico. Center officials say the placement increases the wild population and adds needed genetic diversity. “It is literally vital for this particular population,” Regina Mossotti, director of animal care and conservation at the Endangered Wolf Center, said Thursday. “When you’re talking about 150 animals left in the wild, genetics plays a crucial part in whether that recovery effort is successful or not.” The six pups — three male and three female — were among nine born at the center on April 7. Meanwhile, monitoring showed that several wild packs were having births at around the same time. That was important because for wild wolf parents to accept pups born from outside the litter, the pups must be born at about the same time and must be placed before they are 14 days old, Mossotti said...MORE